Injuries mean Redskins will rely on key players, depth

As the Redskins officially begin their practice week to prepare for their second contest against the 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles, the injury situation is distressing. Coach Jay Gruden wasn’t exactly enthusiastic as he listed the guys ailing during the post-practice press conference.

It’s an inconvenient time for so many health problems. The upcoming Monday Night Football game up at Lincoln Financial Field against the Philadelphia Eagles is an important matchup. Having already lost to Philly once, it’s important that Washington win this game since the two teams are both in the NFC East.

To compete Monday, the Redskins will have to rely on the depth Gruden has spent years building and the core group of players to keep the locker room cohesive and confident. Guys like DL Ziggy Hood, OLB Ryan Kerrigan, OL Morgan Moses, TE Jordan Reed and Niles Paul; and RB Chris Thompson, are all guys that have been with the team for a while. And while they aren’t all vocal leaders, they lead by example. They lead by coming to work every day and practicing as hard as they play.

Related

When a team gets decimated by injuries, especially to stars like Norman and Williams, other guys must pick up the slack. That is where the depth comes in.

Guys like CB Quinton Dunbar, who played exceptionally well in the win against the San Francisco 49ers last week; and now active DL Anthony Lanier, will have to step in and be effective if the Redskins want to beat the Eagles.

“Yeah, you rely on the core group,” Gruden said about preserving the team’s chemistry despite the injuries at his press conference. “We have a core group of guys that are still here and healthy and those are the guys that are going to lead the way. We have good, strong leadership in place and those are the guys who are going to get the guys who are younger or haven’t played a lot. They’re going to get them ready to play. It’s up to the coaches to get them ready mentally. And physically, these guys have got to get themselves ready. I feel confident that the guys that have been here like Lanier, [OT] T.J. Clemmings, if he had to play. Some of these other guys… [RB] Mack Brown if he had to play more reps. I mean, these guys are ready to play because they’ve been taught and they’ve worked extremely hard and they’re just waiting for an opportunity.”

Like this article?

Sign up for the Redskins Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning

Success

Thanks for signing up.
You'll be waking up a little more awesome tomorrow.